Mark Little, Suncor’s vice president of oilsands and in situ operations, kneels down as he plants a sedge plant into the ground.
Behind him, as well as Wood Buffalo mayor Melissa Blake and Fort McMurray Metis president Richard Dragon, the land is dotted with greenery: blueberry and cranberry bushes, jackpine, willows, and dozens of other plants typically found in wetlands.

EDMONTON - Refining crude oil into gasoline may be mostly science, but there is always room for a little art in the process.
And Shell Canada hopes a project called “Art Refined” will capture the humanity behind the steel and steam at the Scotford Refinery near Fort Saskatchewan.

Consider this. You touch something hot and you immediately drop it or snap your hand from the heat source. It’s automatic — you do this so instantly that you don't even think about it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is our wonderful nervous system at work — which consists of your brain, spinal cord and nerves — which work together so well that it feels instant or real-time. It sensed the hot object in your hand and signaled your muscles to let it go subconsciously. Basic studies have tracked this process of “feeling pain” to see that some nerves transmit at more than 200 MPH.
Quite amazing when you think about it.

(Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in June to its lowest in more than 3-1/2 years as imports fell and exports touched a record high, suggesting an upward revision to second-quarter growth.
The Commerce Department said on Tuesday the trade gap fell 22.4 percent to $34.2 billion, the smallest since October 2009. The percentage decline was the largest since February 2009. The shortfall on the trade balance was $44.1 billion in May.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer than ever, and even with new car sales increasing, the average age will continue to rise, an industry research firm says.
The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads hit a record of 11.4 years in January, the latest figures available from state registration data gathered by the Polk research firm.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Carl Icahn's stake in Dell now stands at close to 9 percent, supporting his promise that the fight for the embattled computer maker will go on.
The billionaire investor disclosed in a regulatory filing late Monday that he's purchased an additional 4 million shares in Dell Inc.

(Reuters) - The judge overseeing Detroit's bankruptcy filing will allow Detroit property owners to file tax appeals despite a stay preventing all legal action against the city while it is in bankruptcy court.
Judge Steven Rhodes ruled Tuesday that property tax appeals could be filed but that property owners can't collect on any decision or refund without prior approval from the court.

TAJIMI, Japan (AP) -- Toyota is opening a training facility for mechanics complete with a test course that simulates 13 driving conditions including cobblestones and bumpy roads as part of the automaker's efforts to avoid a repeat of its recall fiasco.
A ceremony with Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and government officials was held at the 9 billion yen ($90 million) Tajimi Service Center Monday in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, near Toyota city where the car maker is headquartered.

Indian company announces oil sale from Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field
In August 2013 the Indian Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) put on sale the oil from the Turkish Ceyhan port, for the first time after the purchase of a share in Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil and gas fields' block, Reuters reported on Friday with reference to a representative of the company.